Best Partner is the 97th episode of the Fairy Tail anime. It first aired on September 17, 2011.

Makarov Dreyar announces Fairy Tail's S-Class Mage Promotion Trial where there are eight participants who have the chance to become the next S-Class Mage. Each participant chooses a partner to join the trial with them and they are as follows: Freed and Bickslow, Natsu and Happy, Gray and Loke, Juvia and Lisanna, Elfman and Evergreen, Levy and Gajeel, Cana and Lucy and finally, Mest and Wendy. They prepare themselves as they board the ship that will take them to the trial's location: Tenrou Island.

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While Lucy Heartfilia relaxes in her apartment by taking a bath, Cana Alberona suddenly shows up in her tub. Cana asks Lucy about her father and looks quite troubled. When Lucy offers her help, Cana states that she's thinking of quitting the guild.

In the guild the next day, Mirajane Strauss tells Lucy that Cana is always depressed like that around this time of year. Later, Natsu Dragneel and Happy show up, take a job and then leave, claiming they'll do the job themselves. Soon enough, Gray Fullbuster and most of the guild are scrambling over each other taking on jobs and fighting each other over job requests, making Lucy curious. Meanwhile, Carla demonstrates her ability of Precognition to Wendy Marvell and Lisanna Strauss while Erza Scarlet and Panther Lily (in his full form) have a short sparring match. Mirajane tells Lucy that she'll discover the reason why there are people who are rushing to get jobs done the next day.

The guild cheers for the chosen eight, but then Lucy notices that Cana doesn't seem to be excited at all. During the commotion, Carla suddenly has an unfortunate vision. She sees a large, tree-like structure crumble, as well as the sorrowful faces of Cana and Natsu and someone's hand. At the end of a vision, Carla perceives an unnamed young man in dark clothing.

Gray and Loke partner up for the trial

Makarov announces some other technicalities about the trial, like how the current S-Class Mages will also be there to obstruct their path, and then orders the participants to find someone to partner up with within the week before the trial. Freed partners up with Bickslow. Natsu chooses Happy, Gray pairs with Loke, Juvia with Lisanna, Elfman with Evergreen and Levy with Gajeel Redfox.

Cana passed out in an alley

While traveling on the streets of Magnolia, Carla warns Wendy that she has a bad feeling about the trial and that Wendy absolutely shouldn't go. Wendy assures Carla that it's okay because no one will partner with her. Suddenly, Mest shows up, saying that she shouldn't think like that. Elsewhere in Magnolia, Lucy finds Cana passed out in an alley and takes her to her apartment.

Lucy decides to help Cana

When Cana comes to, she tells Lucy about how she failed the trial four times and that if she fails for the fifth time, she'll leave the guild because she has no right to see "that person". Cana then continues to narrate her story to Lucy. Lucy, shocked, decides to be Cana's partner, promising her that she will do all in her power to help Cana become S-Class and not leave the guild.

A week later, it is revealed that Wendy has partnered with Mest, and they, along with all the other two-person teams participating in the S-Class Trial, prepare to board the ship to Tenrou Island.